After experimenting for the last three years with the Free T3 test, I have come to the conclusion that you can’t have an accurate Free T3 test unless you have stopped taking all thyroid supplementation for at least 48 hours prior to having blood drawn for the test, or the results will be very inaccurate.
For example: I have one test from about 2 years ago where the results are literally off the chart at 900 for Free T3! The normal lab test range for Free T3 is approximately 2.3 to 4.2. So, 900 caused them to freak! It turns out that you CAN NOT use a Free T3 test as a good indicator of T3 levels if the person is taking a T3 supplement such as Armour, or Cytomel. T3 is very short acting and ramps up quickly, but also comes down quickly. They do not make a time released version of T3 for the US market, so you are supposed to take T3 three times a day, or every 8 hours for best results according to the literature.
My cardiologist found the best T3 test to use on me since I am taking T3 supplementation. It is a test called "T3-resin uptake" (T3RU, or T3U, or RUT3 etc; may also go by the name THBR - thyroid hormone binding ratio). I am not a Doc, but since he started using this test all of my Thyroid parameters are normal except for TSH which we do not care about!
Here is why we don’t care about TSH; I am NOT using my body’s endocrine feedback system (TSH) since I am taking artificial thyroid supplementation. So, TSH is irrelevant to my treatment and we do not look at it! The labs always draw pictures, diagrams, and arrows to point out my extremely low TSH which is usually near Zero. I guess they don’t understand that all my other numbers are perfect, and my health is better than ever before in my life, so I don’t care about it! Why would I care about a pituitary secretion (TSH) that has nothing whatsoever to do with the functioning of my metabolism? I don’t, but they do--because they have had their attention diverted to a non-issue by the drug companies and drug reps that make lots of money from the confusion about the importance of the TSH test.
Why is the TSH test worthless you wonder? Because my TSH is normal when I have NO thyroid hormones circulating in my bloodstream! My thyroid hormones are so low they can’t even be seen on a normal lab test if I don’t get thyroid supplementation, yet my TSH is normal. This is true for a lot of people by the way, especially if they were given Thyroid hormones as a child.
So, what helps me keep my weight down, and keep Coronary Artery Disease at bay? NOT TSH that’s for sure! Only correct levels of T3 do! I no longer take dangerous Statin drugs (cholesterol lowering drugs) anymore! I don’t need them because the T3 thyroid hormones correctly control the fat (cholesterol) in my body!
I hope this clears up some of the confusion about thyroid testing. The tests that I rely on are Free T4, and RUT3. I will consider the results of a Free T3 test if I stop taking the thyroid supplements for 2 days (48 hours) prior to the blood draw, otherwise it is inaccurate.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional so I am not allowed to give you any medical advice. You should always seek the advice of a medical professional when dealing with any medical problem.
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